


Wrong Blonde

by silentstephi



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Origins
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-25
Updated: 2014-03-25
Packaged: 2018-01-16 23:02:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,414
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1364989
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/silentstephi/pseuds/silentstephi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>New to the Grey Warden Order, Anders looked to the Commander for some guidance.  What he got wasn't what he expected.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Wrong Blonde

Anders had to know. 

This was the fifth night he woke up in a cold sweat, unable to go back to sleep.  Every time he closed his eyes he saw darkspawn and Templars converging on him and dragging him back to the Circle. 

Every dream began differently but they always ended up scaring the shite out of him.  They felt so real.  Anders had had nightmares of Templars before, but ever since the Joining, their intensity grew.

The bite of the frigid stone floor against his bare feet as he crept down the halls of Vigil’s Keep quickened his pace.  It felt odd being inside a keep with no Templars at every corner.  He could definitely get used to.

It was well past midnight so going to see Lex at this time of night felt a bit unusual but she had told him if he had any questions about this whole Grey Warden thing her door was always open.

Anders thought Lex was nice for an elf.  She didn’t seem to have the same chip on her shoulder most elves he’d come across had.  She didn’t freak out much over the magic either, but that might have been due to her former companions.  He had met Wynne while out with her, and she seemed pleasant, if doddering.  Anders knew her type from his few stints in the Circle.  The stories that filtered up from Deneram and the other Banns hinted at another mage the Warden-Commander had traveled with but Lex never talked about them.  Anders didn’t feel it necessary to pry. 

Still, it felt rather refreshing, almost freeing that she never tried quoting Chantry dogma at him.  Plus she’d given him a cat!  Ser Pounce A lot hadn’t seem affected by his night terrors and currently slumbered on his pillow back in his room.  The soft rumble of the tabby cat’s purr was a sure fire way to get Ander’s to sleep but after one of these episodes it didn’t help much.

Wasn’t much of a cure all, just a sleep aid, his Ser Pounce A lot.

Outside the Commander’s door Anders knocked once and waited.  No answer.  He shrugged and let himself in.  She had said her door was always open and, wouldn’t you know, it was. 

He’d never been in the Commander’s room before.  A fire place with a fire crackling merrily along the wall, a hard wooden chair and desk under the large curtained window across from the door and a carpet covering the cold wooden floor boards gave the room a sparse feel.

Centered in the room sat a huge bed with a single occupant, which Anders could barely make out over since the firelight only framed a vague outline of something lumped on the bed.  The side table had a wash basin, an extinguished candle and an open book laid on top of a half-eaten plate.  He wondered what the Commander took to bed to read.  

Closing the door softly behind him Anders turned towards the bed and said quietly, “Lex, you awake?”

He saw the lump of covers move, but she still slept.  Well, he needed her awake.  Anders certainly wasn’t going to be of any use to the Warden’s if he fell asleep in the middle of a battle from sleep deprivation.  If he didn’t get some sort of guidance on how to handle these nightmares he’d never sleep again.  Exhaustion made you sloppy, careless, and prone to fatal mistakes.   Anders liked living. 

Hopping onto the warmer rug as he made his way closer to the bed he scratched at his stomach.  Anders froze mid itch as a low moan came from where he assumed Lex dozed and as he crept closer, his mouth went a bit dry.

Apparently the Commander liked to sleep in the buff.  The cold winter night apparently meant nothing to the elf sleeping in front of him.  By day she was covered head to foot in chain mail, but here she laid bare for him to see.  He could make out the sheen of sweat on her shoulders and forehead in the firelight, stray hairs from her braids plastered to her face and neck.  Sinewy muscles stretched taunt over arms and legs tangled in the comforter.    

She had perky nipples.  Even asleep.  Or maybe it was the chill in the air.  Blood rushed to his cheeks before he could even think of what to do next.  Maybe he should come back later?  Or go to the door and shout really loud?  Eyeing the side of the bed where he saw her scabbarded swords he thought twice about that tactic.  Anders wasn’t keen on becoming a pin cushion in case she thought him a bandit or assassin.

She startled him as she thrashed again in her sleep and another moan, this one almost sounding like a word, issued from her throat.  Then she made a very… intimate noise.

 _Andraste’s tits, you’ve walked in on the Commander’s night time naughty, and you’re going to wake her up to ask about your boogey men?_   _Really Anders, you are the smooth one._ Indecision tore at him but he could not for the life of him move from his spot next to her bed. 

She looked so vulnerable.  She looked nothing like the strong, confident Warden Commander, Hero of Fereldan that everyone expected her to be.

His fingers twitched at his sides as he contemplated running his hands through those braids of hers, just to get the feel of them.  To touch the tips of her ears, run his hands over her skin to feel the violence underneath…

 _Maker this is a bad idea._ Leaning over the edge of the bed, he reached his hand out to touch her shoulder.  He needed to wake her up.  He had to talk to her before he put thoughts to action and ran his fingers down her side.  His warm fingers clasped her sweat slicked shoulder and shook it gently.

“Lex!” he said whispered, leaning closer and shaking a bit harder, “Commander, wake up!”

Grey eyes snapped open which rocked him back on his heels for a moment.  She gripped the arm touching her shoulder hard.  Slender fingers snapped forward and grabbed the front of Anders loose night shirt and Lex pulled him down to her. 

Suddenly his lips were on fire as her hot breath hit him and her warm, soft lips kissed his.  Goosebumps rose on his skin as she ran her hands up his arms and on to his neck.  He moaned slightly as she opened his mouth and darted her tongue against his lips, licking them like a cat.  The taste of her tongue in his mouth made his knees give out and the blood raced through his body.  She curled her fingers into his hair and then her hand froze.

So did he.  One second Lex felt pliant and warmth and Maker’s sweet mercy alive in his arms and the next second he felt a solid wall of muscle, tension screaming through her body into his.  This close and pressed up against her taunt and sweaty form, the shiver of barely repressed reflex to do him bodily harm felt very apparent.

Lex pulled his head back from hers, breaking the kiss and looking with confusion into his amber eyes.   “Alistair?” she whispered.

The heat in his loins soured and he let out a frustrated sigh.  “Maker don’t I wish… No Lex, it’s Anders.”

As if she could get any warmer, her face flushed and she detangled her fingers from his hair and scooted her body back towards the head of the bed.  She hadn’t, however, bothered to cover herself.  Instead she placed her face in her hands, softly panting, her whole body strung tighter than Nathaniel’s bow.

“Shite Anders, I’m sorry… I, wait.”  She looked around, as she gained her bearings.  “What are you doing here, in my room?”  She looked at him and he saw the confusion lifting from her eyes being quickly replaced with anger.

He edged himself closer to the end of the bed and the door, clearing his throat and looking anywhere but the angry Commander’s face.  His hand rubbed the back of his neck as he said, “Ah, well, you see, you said ‘Come by anytime if you want to talk about Grey Warden things like nightmares and eating habits and all that garbage’ and well...” he finished with a lame wave of his hand.

Maker he sounded like a fool.  He knew the Commander wasn’t interested in him.  But really, he couldn’t look a golden opportunity in the mouth.  Said opportunity’s mouth quirked down in a frown but she hadn’t kicked him out yet.  She started (to his relief) covering herself with the blanket, wrapping it around her body.

Lex sighed. “Yes, I did say that.  Didn’t think you would take it so literal though.  Hang on a second.”  She flung the blanket off and quicker than he thought possible, she darted across the room and tossed a robe on. 

He knew he could be quick on his feet but Lex was like living lightning!  Then she walked over to him and he felt the bed dip a little when she sat down next to him.  She ran a hand through her braids, her fingers a bit shaky as she straightened them, then she titled her head to look at him.  “So you’re having the nightmares.”

Anders nodded.  “They’re never the same.  I see hurlocs and genlocks running over this place.  Or in Circle’s I hadn’t thought of in years.  Sometimes they’re tainted Templars…” His face flamed at that.  “Well, nightmares of Templars are just par for the course as a mage, but you see what I’m getting at, right?”

He could see sympathy in her eyes.  A softer side to their hard assed Commander.  “When I was first inducted into the Order, I dreamt of the Archdemon.  I felt like it watched every move I made.  It was difficult at first to get a good night’s sleep, but the dreams faded.  Not completely,” she frowned.  “Which is strange.  There’s not Archdemon leading the darkspawn now.  You’d think they’d have stopped by now…” 

Anders could see something bugged her by the furrow in her brow, as she reminisced.  “What’s wrong?”  He turned to face her, concern in his gaze. 

She clamped down on her emotions and turned away, shaking her head.  He watched her close off.  “Nothing.  Honestly, while I’ve been at this for longer, my training in all things Grey Warden still has a lot of holes.  I have been meaning to bend Varel’s ear about what he knows.  I didn’t realize those outside the Order could facilitate a Joining ritual.”  Her lips quirked in humor and Anders laughed.

“I bet they teach ancient Grey Warden secrets to all the Seneschals.  They sandwich it in between the ‘Eyes in the Back of Your Head’ training and marathon book balancing.”

They both laughed, tensions settling.  As the fire crackled, Anders could not contain his curiosity.  “So, Alistair huh?  Grey Warden bastard son of King Maric, that Alistair?”

Picking at the  blanket, Lex sighed.  “You’ve been listening to Oghren’s yapping, haven’t you?”

“Well, he’s just so chatty when he’s drunk.  Which is always.”

“I should muzzle him…” Lex said, the menace in her voice didn’t match her eyes.

“Mmm, that would add to the charm, I bet.  And I think he’d like it too much.”  Anders mused at the thought, smiling.

“Oh Maker, never mind!” She laughed, making a sour face.   Lex shrugged.  “He has his orders and I have mine.  Plus I think he’s giving the Bannorn time to get used to Anora’s reign.    Too many still want Theirin blood on the throne.  Bastard born or not.”

Lex went quiet and the silence felt heavy.  Anders shifted his shoulders.  “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make you sad.”

She shook her head and looked at him.  He could see pain there, but it wasn’t the ache of longing, it was something more.  “Are you sure you’re ok?”

She halted mid word.   Tried again, her voice shaking.  “Maybe?  Ah,” She licked her lips and shrugged.  “Did you know that, as a Grey Warden, the taint, while keeping you immune from becoming a dark spawn, also suppresses your capability to have children?”

Anders eyes widened at that.  “I didn’t really think about it.  Why, did …?  Oh, oh no…”

Lex bit her lip, and the anguish on her face told Anders all he needed.  He reached out and pulled her into a hug.  He had seen this before, many times in the Circle.  Mages were still human, still had needs.  Children happen.  And sometimes, they didn’t.

Lex melted into the hug, squeezing him, as if it kept the flood of tears back.  They sat there on the bed, saying nothing, just letting the comfort of one person for another carry wordlessly between them.

After a few minutes, Lex sighed and pulled away.  “Thank you, Anders.”  She lifted a hand to her ear, gripping the top tip in an unconscious gesture.  “I haven’t told anyone.  I… won’t see Alistair for some time.  I’m not sure I’ll tell him…”

The warmth of her body pressed to his side faded and he considered his words carefully.  “It’s up to you.   Far be it from me to give you relationship advice.”  He smirked at her and she chuckled, then he sobered.  “But do what’s best for you.  If you feel guilty in not telling her, then tell him.  I don’t know the man, but I doubt a man who has turned away a kingship would just brush something like this to the side.  If it’s important to you, I think it’ll be important to him.”

Lex sniffled and smiled.  “Yea.  I know.  If I ever see him again.”  Wiping away a stray tear, she straightened up.  “But you didn’t come here to watch me blubber, so.  Are you going to be alright?  I know there’s not much I can tell you to handle the dreams, but if they do get too much, you can come find me here.  Just, knock harder next time, ok?” 

Anders laughed.  “Yes Ma’am.”  With a pat to her knee, Anders stood up and left the Commander’s room.  Lost in thought, he didn’t notice the cold floors on his way back to his room.  The nightmares stayed gone for the rest of the evening.  Only sad grey eyes followed him into sleep.

**Works inspired by this one:**

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